Method of drilling wells



L, F. KINNEAR vMETHOD OF DRILLING WELLS July 25, 1933.

Filed Oct. 6, 1931 TTV/T RNANN.

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Patented July 2,5, 1933 UNITED STATES LELAND PAUL KINNEAR, F BEAUMONT, TEXAS Application led October 6, 1931. Serial No. 567,280.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a method of drilling deep wells, such as oil or artesian wells.

An object of the invention is to provide I '5 a method of drilling wells whereby a pipe section may be utilized for operating the drill bits for drilling the well, and said pipe section converted into a casing for the well without removing the same from the well.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of drilling wells of the above character wherein the drilling of the well is continued through the converted pipe casing.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method of drilling wells wherein pipe sections having detachable bits are utilized for drilling a portion of the well, after which the bits are removed and the pipe section converted into a casing for the well and the welll sealed, after which the drilling of the well is continued by the smaller pipe section having detachable bits which are passed through the converted pipe casing.

These and other objects will .in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed. In the drawing which shows by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention- Figure l is a sectional view lthrough a series of pipe sections and a detachable bit mechanism associated therewith showing one form :of structure which may be used in carrying `out the improved method;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the bit mechanism removed from the pipe sections without withdrawing the pipe 'sections from the well;

Fig3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the lower end of the lowermost section with `the cement seated in place for sealing the well;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, showving the chuck for the tools and the plug formed during the sealing of the well cut away so, that the drilling of the well may be continued through said pipe sectionsas the casing for 'the well, and Fig..5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating one way of drilling a well by my improved method.

The linvention is directed to a method of drilling wells and more particularly to4 deep wells, such as oil wells or artesian wells, although the invention may be used for drilling a dry test well, or any type of Well. In carrying Vout the invention, a pipe section is used to which drill bits are detachably connected. This pipe section is used as an actuating means for operating the drill bits. Preferably the drill bits are of a character which are rotated, and the pipe section is connected to a suitable device whereby it is rotated and fed forward during the drilling of the well. After the well has been drilled t0 a desired depth, or condition of earth formation where it is desired to seal the well, or, if for any reason, it is not desirable to proceed further with the 0 drilling of the we-ll with the pipe sections being operated, then the drill bits are removed and the well is sealed. The well may be sealed either by the useof cement, or by a formation seal caused by a movement of the pipe andthe embedding of the lower end thereof in the earth. After the seal has been produced, it may be necessary to cut away the lower pipe section in the region where the drill bits are attached, and S0 this may be accomplished by any suitable n metal cutting means operated through the pipe section. Thus the pipe section orsections used for drilling are converted into a well pipe casing. LA smaller pipe section having detachable bits is then inserted through the converted well pipe casing and the drilling of the well proceeds. The smaller pipe sections are used for operating the drills, and again, if a condition of earth formation occurs making it desirable, the pipe sections used for operating, the drills may, in a similar manner, be converted into a well pipe casing, a\seal for the well produced, said lower pipe section and seal' cut 5 away, if found necessary, and the further drilling of the well continued by the use of a still smaller pipe section.

The Y invention will possiblyA be better understood by a more detail description of 10 one formof apparatus which may be used for carrying out the invention, and by a description of the manner o f utilizing the invention for drilling a well. 5 In Figure 1 of the drawing, a series of pipe sections is shown with a chuck attached to the lower end thereof through which the drill bits are detachably connected to the pipe sections. The pipe section l is connected to the chuck 2. A pipesection 3 is connected to the upper end of the pipe vsection 1. A pipe section 4 is connected to the upper end of the. pipe section 3, and so on, pipe sections are attached as the drilling of the well proceeds. These pipe sections, as shown in the drawing, are so constructed that when they are joined, the inner diameter of the pipe sections is substantially uniform throughout. To this end, each pipe section is provided with an integral collar 5 at the upper end thereof which has a threaded recess to receive the threaded end of the next above pipe section. The joint may be made in any suitable way, but it is desirable that the pipe shall be of uniform diameter within so as not to interfere with the insertion and removal of the drill bits, and also so as not to interfere with the use of the pipe sections as a well pipe casing, as will be referred to later.-

' The chuck 2 attached to the lower end of the pipe section 1 is provided with a recess 6 of slightly smaller dimensions than the bore of the pipe section attached to the chuck. There is an opening 7 leading from this recess to the lower end of the chuck, thus forming shoulders 8, 8. The drill bits are indicated at '9, 9in Figure 1 of the drawing. These drill bits' are independent of each other, and each is provided with a lshank 10.- A cable 11 is attached to each shank, and this cable is in turn attached to a rod 12. The rods 12 arel attached to a collar 13 mounted for free movement longitudinally of a pipe 14.- The pipe 14 at its lower end is attached to a collar 15. A spring 16` bears against the upper end of the collar 15 and .against thelower end of the collar 13. The drill bits are collapsed, and pass through the opening 7 after which they are moved laterally into drilling posi- Vtion on the chuck. The drilling bits are forced into seated position by wedge bars, one vof whichn's indicated at 17. The drill bits are forced from seated position to a position where they may be detached froml the chuck, by wedge bars, one of which is indicated at 18. The wedge bars 18 are attached to a collar 19 mounted on a sleeve 20 which is free to move on the pipe 14. The wedgebars 17 are attached to the collar 15. The upper ends of the Shanks 10 are tapered so as to properly cooperate with the inner tapered ends'of these wedge bars. When it 65 is desired to disconnect the drill bits from the chuck the releasing means is lowered through the pipe sections and connected to the collar 21 at the upper end of the pipe section 14. This pipe section is threaded into the collar 15 and the first movement of the pipe section 14 in an u ward direction will Withdraw the wedge ars 17,' thus releasing the bits so that the wedge bars 18 connected to the collar 19 will move downward through the weight of the partsand thus unseat or disconnect the .bits from the l chuck. The upward movement of the pipe 14 before thebits are disconnected, 'compresses spring 16, and as soon as the bits are detached from the chuck, the spring will lift the collar 13'to its normal position on the Ipipe 14. When it is desired to attach 'the bits to the chuck, they are lowered pending application Serial No. 567,941, liledv of leven date herewith. The detail description has been given for the purpose of illustrating one form of detachable bit which mayf, be used in the carrying out of my im proved method of drilling wells.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing,the drill bits and the mechanism associated therewith are shown as detached .from the chuck and pipe sections. In Fi 3 of the drawing, one form of seal is s own which is made after the drill bits have been removed from the pipe sections. In this form of the invention, cement is poured through the pipe sections forming aseal 22 for sealing the well. When' a chuck of the type disclosed is used, and it is desired to continue the drilling of the well by my improved method, suitable metal cutting means is lowered through the pipe sections andthe chuck is cut away at the lower end "thereof and also the plug formed by the cement seal, so as to provide an opening 23 which is of substantially uniform diameter throughout the chuck. This may be done by metal cutting tools or any other desired mechanism. The essential feature is to provideI an opening through the chuck and the seal, if one is not already present, so that the pipes used for form opening therethroughkthen of course, i

paratus for carrying out the invention,'theI drilling of a well by my improved method will now be described. This method of drilling is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 4. The well is first drilled of relatively large diameter and as deep as necessary to case ofil slufiing surface sand, or formations of earth, and protect the derriek foundation. As shown in Fig. 5, this first drilling operation is extended to a depth of forty feet, and a casing 24: with a sea-l 25 is utilized. The rst drilling may be accomplished by my improved detachable bit and pipe section which is converted into a casing in the manner described above. It may, however, be formed in the ordinary manner of drilling, and the inserting of a casing after the desired depth has been reached. lThe seal 25 may be formed of cement inserted through or 'around the pipe casing 24, or it maygbe of a formation' character produced by the moving of the casing endwise until. it becomes firmly embedded in the earth structure. After this first formation of the well, then a smaller pipe section 23 is used to which detachable bits are connected. 'Ihis' pipe section 23 is made up, of course, of secj tions which are joined, and they are of the character described above, and as shown in Fig. 1. The drilling continues under normal conditions until a depth of three thousand, five hundred feet is reached, atwhich point it is found necessary to seal the well. A seal 26 is then formed at the lower end vof the lowermost pipe section or chuck after the drill bits have been detached. The chuck and seal are then cut away and a smaller pipe section 27 is utilized with detachable bit sections for the continuingy of the drilling of the well. This pipe section 27 is also made up of sections joined together in the manner described in connection with Figures 1 and'2. When the desired depth is reached, a seal 28 may be formed after the bits have been removed, and this seal may be a cement seal or a formation seal, the same as the seal 25 and the-seal 26.- After removing the drill bits and sealing the well,

the pipe sections used for operating the drill bits are again converted into well pipe casings, and this is accomplished without withdrawing the pipe sections from the well.

The same is true of the pipe section 23. The

bits are detached and removed and the chuck and seal cut through, if necessary, in order to convert the pipe sectionskused for operating the drill bits into a well casing. A perforated casing 29 may be inserted if the oil sand has been reached.

It is understood, of course, that my method may be otherwise employed in the drilling of wells than that described in detail and diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5. If,v for example, in` drilling a well, a crooked hole is formed whichfcauses the pipe sections operating the drill bits to bind and stick fast, the drill bits can be detached, the chuck cut away, if necessary, thus converting the pipe sections `used for operating the bits into the well casing, and the drilling of the well continued by the use of smaller pipe sections carrying smaller detachable drilling bits.

It sometimes occurs in drilling a well that at a depth of three thousand feet or thereabouts, quicksand, heaving shale, or a slulfng avalanche formation is reached which is liable to fall in and interfere with the operation of the drilling pipe. By the present method, this earth, formation may be passed by reason of the fact that the bit can be Achanged in a very few minutes, and the pipe kept moving upwardly -and downwardly and' rotating while'the bits are being changed. Furthermore, the circulation of fluid through the aid of powerful mud pumps may be utilized to keep back the slufling formation which interferes with the manipulation of the drill pipes.' If I am unable to pass through this bad formation just referred to, then vthe pipes for operating the drill bits may be converted into a well pipe casing and the drilling of the well continued by the vuse of a smaller pipe in the manner abovedescribed.

While the invention is described as useful in the drilling of oil wells and artesian wells, it will also be useful inthe drilling of dry test wells, and for any purpose where it is desired to drill a deep well lthrough various earth formations. It will be apparent that eov by my improved method of drilling wells,

not only is there a great saving in the operation of drilling, but there is also a great saving in the piping used for the drilling`- operation and the casing ofthe well.l

Having thus described'the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- The method of drilling wells consisting in detachably cognnecting drill bits to a chuck attached to the lower end of pipe sections, which chuck has formed integral therewith portions spaced a less distance than the diameter of the pipe sections above the chuck and contacting with said bits for 'p rotating the same, detaching the drill vhits from the pipe sections, cutting away the of smaller dimensions through the irstnamed pipe section having drilling hits connected thereto and utilizing the lastnamed pipe section for rotating and feeding the drill bits for continued drilling of the Well.

y LELAND PAUL KINNEAR. 

